Fireplace construction



May 19,1942. 1 D. L. CAGE 2,283,790;

FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 30, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Darcy Cage,

May 19, 1942. i D. L 2,283,790

' FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTION Filed Sept. 30, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 VPatented May 19, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FIREPLACE CONSTRUCTIONDarcy L. Cage, Los Angele's, Calif. Application September so, 1940-,Serial No. 359,147

' (o1. l26l21) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to fireplace construction, and has moreparticular reference to a fireplace provided with air heating means.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a fireplaceconstruction, the front of which is of forwardly curved form in plan,and wherein the air heating device is so constructed and shaped as toprovide for its ready adaptation to a fireplace proper whose front isso'curved.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved airheating device for use in providing a fireplace construction in whichthe front of the fireplace proper is of forwardly curved form in plan,said air heating device being of extremely simple and durableconstruction and providing for eflicient heating of air.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an airheating device of the above kind having hollow rear and side memberswhose inner walls are provided with vertical inwardly pressed V-sha'pedribs connected by relatively wide flat portions, said ribs being adaptedfor allowing lateral contraction and expansion of said inner walls so asto prevent buckling of the same, as well as to maintain the fire spacedfrom said walls and allow maximum circulation of air between the sameand the fire for preventing excessive overheating of said walls.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparentfrom the following description when considered in connection withthe-accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a front elevationalview of a fireplace construction embodying the present invention. v

Figure 2 is a vertical section on: line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the air heating device forming part ofthe fireplace construction shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a horizontal section on line 4--4 of Figure 1; and r Figure5 is a horizontal section on line-5-5 of Figure 2. i

While the present fireplace construction may be built in a straightwall, it has been illustrated as built in the corner of a room at thejuncture of two partition walls 5 and 6 separating said room from twoadjoining rooms. The fireplace proper includes a rear wall I of suitableform and thickness, side walls 8, a top wall 9, and a front wall IIIwhich is of forwardly curved form in plan. This provides the usualfireplace or recess in the lower portion of the fireplace structure,

the front wall l0 having an opening at its lower central portion toprovide an open front or entrance II for this recess or fire space. Thepartial portion Illa of the front wall I0 above this opening II closesthe front of the recess or fire space at the top of the latter, and apassage I2, extending upwardly and rearwardly, affords communicationbetween the rear upper portion of the fire space or recessand the lowerend of the vertical fiue l3 provided in chimney I4. The lower portion ofthe rear wall 1 has a vertical front surface I5, while the upper portionof said rear wall has a front surface I6 which slants upwardly and.forwardly. V

Fitted within the fire space or recess of this fireplace proper is anair heating device comprising a unitary metallic structure having ahollow horizontal transverse upper front portion I! which fits withinthe upper front portion of the fire space or recess directly beneath thetopwall 9 and behind the partial portion Illa of the front wall l0, alower portion which is open at the top,'bottom and front and composed ofa hollow rear member I8, and hollow side members I 9. The members I8 andH are closed at the bottom and communicate with each other, the hollowside members I!) communicating at their upper ends with the ends of thehollow upper front portion I! through the upwardly converging upperportion l9a of the side members l9. The back member I8 is closed at thetop by means of an upwardly and rearwardly inclined wall 20, and thebottom of the upper front portion I1 is formed by an upwardly andrearwardly inclined wall 2| which is spaced from the wall 20 so as toprovide an upwardly and rearwardly inclined throat 22 for the passage ofsmoke from the top of the fire space to the fiue l3of the chimney. Thewall 2| is of forwardly curved form in plan or transversely curved withits side edges joined to the side edges-of the wall 20. The hollow upperfront portion I! and the front of the side members [9 are closed by awall 23 of inverted U-shape whose intermediate portion is forwardlycurved to conform to the curvature of the front wall Ill as shownclearly in Figures 3 and 5. Also, the side or leg portions of the wall23, indicated at 24 are disposed in outwardly and rearwardly divergingrelation so that they lie at an angle substantially conforming to thecurvature of the front wall ll] of the fireplace proper. Thus, the airheating device lends itself admirably to installation in a fireplaceproper whose front is forwardly curved as described. At the same time,the air heating device is of extremely simple and durable constructionand provides for efficient heating of air.

Formed in the lower portions of the side members I9 near the fronts ofthe latter are cold air inlet openings 25, and another cold air inlet 261 may be formed in the lower portion of the rear member I 8. Hot airoutlet openings 21 are formed in the upper portions of the side membersI9, while a further hot air outlet opening 28 is provided in the topWall of the upper front portion 11. The front edge of this opening 28 ispreferably curved concentric with the curvature of the front wall 23,and a hot air outlet passage 29 may be formed vertically in the topwall9 of the fireplace proper to receive a grill 30 of similar shape wherethe passage 29 opens through the top of wall 9. As the top of wall 9 ishorizontal and fiat, it forms an admirable shelf or mantlepiece curvingabout the curved wall of chimney I4. The cold air inlet openings '25 maycommunicate with passages 3| extending through the front wall In of thefireplace proper at opposite sides of the opening II, as well as throughlow-built extensions 32 provided at opposite sides of the fireplaceopening II upon a hearth 33a which extends in front of the fireplaceproper at the bottom of the same. The passages 3| preferably openthrough the extensions- 32 where they are provided with suitable grills33, and the tops of the extensions 32 are preferably fiat so as toprovide suitable stands for fiowers or ornaments. Other passages 34 maybe provided in the back wall 6 and the partitions and 6 for conductingcold air from the adjoining rooms to the cold air inlet 26, and the hotair outlet 21 may communicate with further passages 35 provided throughthe side walls 8 of the fireplace proper and the partitions 5 and 6 forconducting hot air into the adjoining rooms from the heating deviceinstalled in the room separated from such adjoining rooms by thepartitions 5 and 6. It will of course be understood, however, that insome installations, the

openings 26 and 21 need not be utilized, in which case the passages 34and 35 need not be provided. When the latter passages are provided, theyare provided at their inlet and outlet ends respectively, with thegrills 36 and 31.

The'inner walls of the hollow rear member I31;-

and the side members I9 are provided with a series of spaced verticalribs 38 which are of V-shape in cross section and pressed inwardly asshown clearly in the several views. These and contraction of the innerwalls of said members I8 and I9 so that buckling of the same iseffectively prevented. In addition, these ribs are connected byrelatively Wide fiat portions and maintain most of the fire in spacedrelation to end of throat 22 for controlling the draft from the firespace to the chimney, which damper ribs provide for lateral orhorizontal expansion 5 "proper.

has suitable operating means, such as a lever 40.

It will of course be understood that a suitable fire is built within thelower portion of the air heating device, and cold air entering theheater through the openings 25 and 26 will be effectively heated infiowing to the outlet openings 21 and 28. This heated air will bedischarged into the rooms and effective heating of the rooms therebywill be had. It will be seen that I have provided a very efficient airheating fireplace of attractive form and design, and it will be apparentthat minor changes may be made in specific details of the inventionillustrated and described, without departing from the spirit and scopeof the invention as claimed.

What I claim as new is:

1. A fireplace construction comprising a fireplace proper composed of arear wall, side walls, a bottom wall, a top wall, and a front wall offorwardly curved form in plan, said walls forming a central fire space,said front wall having a central openingforming an entrance to saidfireplace and providing a partial wall closing the top of said firespace directly above said opening, said top wall having a fiat topprovided with a hot air outlet passage, cold air inlet. passages beingprovided through the side and front walls at opposite sides of said firespace, an air heating device including a unitary metallic structurefitted in said fire space and composed of hollow transverse upper frontand lower portions communicating with each other, the'top of said hollowtransverse upper front portion having a hot air outlet openingcommunicating with the hot air outlet passage in the top wall of saidfireplace roper, said hollow lower portion having side air inletopenings near the bottom thereof communicating with said cold air inletpassages, and low-built extensions on the front wall of the fireplaceproper at opposite sides of the fire space and through which said coldair inlet passages extend.

2. In combination, a fireplace proper built at the juncture of two wallsof a room and including rear and side walls having outer surfacesdisposed at right angles to each other, a top wall, and a front wall offorwardly curved form in plan, providing a fire space in the lowerportion of the fireplace proper, said front wall having an opening atits lower central portion to provide an entrance to said fire space, andan air heating device fitted within said fire space and comprising ahollow horizontal upper front portion fitting within the upper part ofsaid fire space behind and curved forwardly to contact the upper portionof said front wall of the fireplace proper, and a lower portion composedof a hollow rear member and hollow side members closed at the bottom andcommunicating with each other, said hollow upper front portion and theside members of the lower portion having a front wall of invertedU-shape and curved forwardly to conform to the curvature of the frontwall of the fireplace DARCY L. CAGE.

